


41. Mute

by parka_girl



Category: B.A.P, Infinite (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-13
Updated: 2014-03-13
Packaged: 2018-01-15 15:34:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1309999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parka_girl/pseuds/parka_girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Myungsu is tired of seeing Junhong suffer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	41. Mute

It was raining when Myungsu found him. Junhong was sitting on the stoop outside his flat, soaking wet. Myungsu had invited him in, knowing that it was the least he could do. Junhong had said nothing, just pulling himself up and dragging himself, dripping, into Myungsu's flat. After a moment or two of rummaging, Myungsu wrapped Junhong up in a towel and left him to dry himself off while he tried to find clothes to fit him. He eventually emerged to find Junhong in the bathroom, shivering. 

"Give me your wet clothes." Myungsu said, softly. He set the dry ones on the counter and then went off in search of another towel. When he came back, Junhong had the wet towel wrapped around his waist and all of his wet clothes were in a pile on the floor. 

Myungsu pretended not to notice the bruises on Junhong's back, along his shoulders. Not the old ones or the fresh ones. Instead, he gestured to the shower and slipped out of the bathroom. A few minutes later, when he heard the shower running, he grabbed the wet towel and Junhong's clothes and tossed them in the washing machine. He sat on the floor outside the bathroom for a long time, listening to the shower cover up the sounds of Junhong's tears. 

They'd known each other for a long time. He was four years older than Junhong and they'd known each other for at least twice that. Since Junhong was just a kid. Even though he's twenty now, sometimes Myungsu forgets that he's an adult. And yet, every time something happens, he shows up at Myungsu's door. Usually Myungsu will ask, pester Junhong into telling him what's wrong. But this time something's different. Maybe it was the vacant look in Junhong's eyes, the plethora of bruises, or even something that Myungsu can't identify. Whatever it was, though, Myungsu knew something had changed. And not for the better. 

He thought about Junhong's home life, or the fact that he didn't have one. Though they'd grown up near each other, such was the way of the world they lived in, Junhong had been sent away to school. There'd been a couple of years, while Myungsu did his mandatory military service, when they didn't see each other. But when it was Junhong's turn, and he'd just been discharged, a few months earlier, things had changed. There was war everywhere, but Junhong was too delicate to fight. 

Myungsu had been on the front lines, seen death and horrors and he was glad Junhong wasn't there. But not everyone was. And sometimes Myungsu thought that's one of the reasons Junhong let himself get beaten up. He hadn't had a choice in where the military placed him and everyone knew that. But it didn't stop them from beating up those they thought had gotten it easy. It made Myungsu angry because it wasn't like Junhong had it easy. He'd worked in a hospital and had probably seen more wounded and death than Myungsu had on the battlefield. they both had their scars and no one to care for them except each other. 

The school, which picked up strays after the military, had dorms and while Myungsu had initially thought that would be a good place for Junhong, he was almost immediately proved wrong. Unfortunately for both of them, the school wouldn't let Junhong leave for a year without special permission and Junhong was too stubborn to ask for it. He spent a lot of time at Myungsu's, but refused to take a key. Myungsu heard the shower stop and stood up, he promised he'd make Junhong take a key before the day was out. 

There wasn't a sound from the bathroom for so long that Myungsu was suddenly scared. But then the door opened and Junhong was standing in the doorframe, tall and far too skinny. Myungsu stepped forward and Junhong face crumpled a little, falling into tears that he clearly thought he'd already shed. They slid to the floor, Myungsu's arms around Junhong, fingers brushing against the bruises along Junhong's skin. Junhong's face against Myungsu's neck, his whole bottle wracked with sobs. 

And still, he said nothing. 

Myungsu didn't ask. He just gathered Junhong in his arms, something he was rarely able to do because of their height differences, and held him. He let Junhong cry himself out, until the only sound was his labored breathing. He stroked his hands along Junhong's back, cursing every thing he knew. 

Eventually Junhong pulled away. Myungsu left him to finish dressing and went off to make tea and find them something to eat. He was standing at the kitchen counter when he said Junhong enter the room. His hair was wet, still, sticking up a little. It was still short, he liked the military haircut, but it was growing out. He was wearing some of his old clothes that Myungsu had unearthed from his own closet. He looked older, though. Worn down. And it broke Myungsu's heart. But at least he wasn't enlisted anymore. They couldn't take him away from Myungsu. 

He turned away from the stove and toward Junhong. "Stay here." 

Junhong didn't answer, so Myungsu went on. 

"I mean, don't go back to the dorms. Your year is almost up. You can just move in here. Get a job." Myungsu went on, trying to hold Junhong's gaze. 

Junhong still said nothing and Myungsu wondered what had happened, but didn't want to force it. Instead, he watched as Junhong pulled a chair out at the table and sit in it, slumping down. Myungsu walked over to him and let Junhong pull at him. He leaned against the back of the chair, arms around Junhong's shoulders. 

"You'll stay with me?" He asked softly, lips brushing against Junhong's ear. He didn't need Junhong to speak to know the answer, he could feel it when he nodded. Myungsu held onto him tighter, promising to never let him go again.


End file.
